10 countries that don’t actually exist

1. Greenland

In 2009 Queen Margrethe II of Denmark travelled to Greenland to give it self-rule. She donned national dress for the occasion: knee-high sealskin boots and a hoodless anorak. She delivered the self-governance law to Greenland’s parliament, so ending 300 years of Danish authority.

Under the law the Queen remained Greenland’s head of state, but the world’s largest island gained control of its police force and justice system. Greenlandic, spoken by nearly all island residents, became the official language. It was the penultimate step, they say, towards full independence.

But should I visit? Definitely. Access the icy isle by flight or expedition cruise; sail the fjordserrated coast, trek the Arctic Circle Trail, look for whales and learn about Greenlandic culture.